LOMELLINA - Conservation of Alnus glutinosa forests in Lomellina
LIFE03 NAT/IT/000109
Object
Forestry and hydraulic interventions for the maintenance and/or re-establishment of suitable conditions for the existence of Alnus glutinosa stands in the Lomellina area.
Objective
Restoration of the most favourable conditions for the conservation of the woodland (habitat 91E0 *) by: achieving optimal surface and groundwater levels, controlling invasive species and planting species characteristic of the habitat.
Good Practice Description
The good practice foresees two types of operations, involving both the forestry and the hydraulic sectors.
Among the former: reforestation or thickening with Alnus glutinosa and, in the ecotonal areas, also with various shrub species; in local areas with high humidity and persistent stagnation, also use of pioneer tree species typical of the hygrophilous forest type (eg Salix alba). Forestry actions also include improvement interventions aimed at the elimination of exotic species and the structural and phytopathological improvement of the stands (including the application of rotation coppice system to promote the reproduction of herons).
Among the hydraulic activities, for the conservation of the vineyard, various types of interventions are proposed aimed at ensuring adequate soil moisture throughout the year: cleaning of canals, reshaping of the bottom and banks of water bodies, restoration of locks and closed channels, recovery of fountains, creation of ponds also with the aim of promoting wildlife diversity, etc ...
Territorial Context
The Lomellina is a portion of the territory in the province of Pavia between the Po, Ticino and Sesia rivers, characterised by swamping of the land. It is a predominantly agricultural area and is one of the main Italian sites for the production of rice; here historically small woods of black alder have been planted, managed as coppice for the production of timber.
Replicability conditions
The techniques implemented with this good practice can be replicated wherever necessary, wherever the presence of hygrophilous forests is put at risk due to socio-economic changes responsible for significant variations in water supply.
Dissemination material
From the LIFE GoProFor database, in the final part of the sheet, it is possible to download the material of the project, including the detailed technical report relating to forestry interventions for the recovery of black alder forests and hydraulic interventions for the restoration of fountains.